Collapsible folding truck trunk

ABSTRACT

A collapsible trunk for use with a vehicle having a wheel well. The trunk comprises a base wall and a side wall pivotally connected thereto. The side wall extends from the base wall and terminates at an upper edge. The side wall and base wall collectively define a storage cavity. The base wall and the side wall each have an expandable portion conformable to the wheel well in response to placement of the base wall and the side wall over the wheel well. The trunk is selectively transitional between a collapsed configuration and a deployed configuration. In the collapsed configuration, the base panels overlap each other, and in the deployed configuration, the plurality of base panels are co-planar to each other. The upper edge of the side wall moves away from the base wall as the trunk transitions from the collapsed configuration toward the deployed configuration.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/796,643, filed on Oct. 27, 2017, which is acontinuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/666,450,filed on Aug. 1, 2017, which is a continuation-in-part patentapplication of prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/397,916, filedon Jan. 4, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 15/177,270 filed on Jun. 8, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,573,530, whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/046,203 filedon Feb. 17, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,566,915 which relates to the U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/656,476, filed on Mar. 12, 2015, and nowU.S. Pat. No. 9,079,548, the entire contents of all the foregoing beingexpressly incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The various embodiments and aspects described herein relate to a trunkfor a bed of a truck.

Trucks are typically used to haul material in its bed area from onelocation to another. However, truck beds have become accessorized sothat the truck bed can be used for a variety of uses and more thanmerely hauling material. By way of example and not limitation, truckbeds can be retrofitted with toolboxes, tonneau covers, shells and otheraccessories that bring additional functionality to truck beds.Unfortunately, these solutions are fixed in that once installed, theuser typically does not remove these accessories. Also, if the userneeded to remove these accessories from the truck bed, an extendedperiod of time and great strength would be required in order toreconfigure the truck bed between different accessories.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved accessory forbringing additional functionality to a truck bed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A trunk for a bed of a truck is disclosed herein. The trunk may havevarious configurations including but not limited to a first embodimentwherein the trunk is traversable between front and back positions, asecond embodiment wherein the trunk is telescoping in addition to beingtraversable between the front and back positions and a third embodimentwherein the trunk is collapsible in addition to being traversablebetween the front and back positions. The trunk may provide an isolatedenclosed area so that a user may place objects in the trunk, isolatedfrom soiled surfaces of the truck bed. The trunk may also be traversedbetween front and back positions by someone without great strength andalso configured so that the user may use the full length of the bed ofthe truck.

A fourth embodiment involves the trunk that is used in combination witha tonneau cover. The trunk of the fourth embodiment may be traversedbetween front and back positions as well as have partitions that may berepositioned to enlarge or reduce the size of a trunk space of thefourth embodiment of the trunk.

More particularly, a trunk for a bed of a truck is disclosed. The trunkmay comprise an enclosure, left and right rails and a back cover. Theenclosure may have a top traversable between a lowered closed positionand a raised opened position. The left and right rails may be attachedto left and right sidewalls of the truck bed and operative to secure theenclosure at a first position wherein a tailgate of the truck bed formsa back wall of the enclosure when the tailgate is in an up position anda second position adjacent to a front wall of the truck bed. The backcover may be attached to a back side of the enclosure when the enclosureis traversed to the second position to form the back wall of theenclosure.

The trunk may further comprise support arms that may be pivotallyattached to the left and right sidewalls of the enclosure and the topcover for holding the top cover in the raised open position. The supportarms may be pivotally attached to the left and right rails or the leftand right sidewalls of the enclosure.

The enclosure may have a front wall attached to the left and rightsidewalls and a bottom wall attached to the front wall and the left andright sidewalls. The back cover may be attached to an underside of thetop cover when the enclosure is traversed to the first position andattached to the left and right sidewalls and bottom wall when theenclosure is traversed to the second position.

The back cover may form the back wall. The front wall and the left andright sidewalls may have a stepped configuration to accommodate wheelwells of the truck bed so that the enclosure is traversable between thefirst and second positions by sliding the enclosure horizontally betweenthe first and second positions.

The front wall may be pivoted with respect to the top cover. The bottomwall may be pivoted to the front wall. The front and bottom walls may bepivoted to a position under the top cover and parallel thereto fortraversing the enclosure between the first and second positions.

The left and right sidewalls and the front wall may have upper and lowerhalves that telescope with respect to each other between an up positionand a down position. The enclosure may slide horizontally between thefirst and second positions on the truck bed when the lower half is inthe up position.

A vertical height of the back cover may be about equal to a verticalheight of the left and right sidewalls when the left and right sidewallsare in the up position.

The left and right rails may have a first part of a male/femaleconnection extending along a length of the rails. The left and rightsidewalls of the enclosure may have a second part of the male/femaleconnection wherein the second part slides against the first part as theenclosure is traversed between the first and second positions. Themale/female connection may have a detent mechanism to maintain theenclosure in the first or second positions.

The trunk may further comprise a locking mechanism that traverses leftand right bars under the left and right rails to prevent the top coverfrom inadvertently traversing to the raised open position.

The trunk may further comprise a protective liner. The protective linermay have a plurality of reliefs on a front wall and left and rightsidewalls of the protective liner to allow a user to compress theprotective liner during insertion or removal of the protective linerfrom within the enclosure.

In another aspect, a storage compartment for a bed of a truckconfigurable into two or more positions for providing a versatilestorage solution is disclosed. The system may comprise a left rail, aright rail, a top cover and a plurality of panels. The left rail may besecured to a left sidewall of the truck bed. The right rail may besecured to a right sidewall of the truck bed. The top cover may bepivotally attached to the left and right rails at either a firstposition or a second position. The first position may be closer to atailgate of the truck bed compared to the second position. The pluralityof panels may be deployed so as to define a storage volume with eitherthe tailgate when the top cover is in the first position or with a backwall when the top cover is in the second position and the sidewalls ofthe truck bed.

The top cover may have a latching mechanism traversable between a lockedposition and an opened position. In the locked position, locking barsextend laterally outward so that opposed distal end portions of thelatching mechanism are disposed under lips of the left and rightsidewalls of the truck bed or the left and right rails.

In a different aspect, a method of reconfiguring a trunk attached to abed of a truck is disclosed. The method may comprise the steps ofunlocking the trunk so that the trunk is operative to be horizontallyslid to first or second positions, a tailgate of the truck bed forming apart of an enclosed space of the trunk when the trunk is in the firstposition, the trunk being closer to a cab of the truck when the trunk isin the second position; sliding the trunk to the second position;attaching a back wall of the trunk to form the enclosed space; lockingthe trunk to the second position; and pivoting a cover of the trunk toan up position so that a full length of the truck bed is available foruse.

The method may further comprise a step of collapsing upper and lowertelescoping sections of the trunk. The collapsing step may include thestep of lifting the lower section into the upper section.

The method may further comprise a step of pivoting a bottom wall and afront wall upon each other under a cover of the trunk.

The sliding step may include a step of traversing a tongue of the trunkwithin elongate grooves of rails attached to left and right sidewalls ofthe bed of the truck.

In another aspect, a truck with a truck bed convertible into a trunk isdisclosed. The truck may comprise the truck bed, a tonneau cover, adriver side rail, a passenger side rail and a trunk. The truck bed maydefine a front wall, a passenger side sidewall, a driver side sidewalland a tailgate pivotable between an opened position and a closedposition. The tonneau cover may be pivoted and attached to a forwardportion of the truck bed closer to the front wall than the tailgate. Thetonneau cover may be pivoted between an opened up position and a closeddown position. The driver side rail may be attached to and extendhorizontally along the driver side sidewall. The passenger side rail maybe attached to and extend horizontally along the passenger sidesidewall. The trunk may extend across a width of the truck bed and beslidably attached to the driver side and passenger side rails so thatthe trunk is slidable along a length of the bed and securable in atleast two different positions.

The trunk may define an upper edge that is vertically higher than alower edge of the tonneau cover so that rain cascades down the tonneaucover and over the trunk. Alternatively, the trunk may define an upperedge below a lower edge of the tonneau cover.

The trunk may have stepped side walls to accommodate wheel wellsprotruding into the truck bed. The trunk may have a rear wall with anopening and a selectively positionable panel. The trunk may have firstand second sets of slots. The first set of slots may be formed inbetween the front wall of the trunk and the rear wall. The second set ofslots may be formed near the rear wall to close the opening of the rearwall. The trunk may be fabricated from a rigid or resilient material.

The tonneau cover may extend from the front wall to the tailgate tocover the entire truck bed.

The driver side rail and the passenger side rail may be attached tointerior sides of the driver side sidewall and the passenger sidesidewall.

Opposed sides of the trunk may be received into the driver side andpassenger side rails so that the trunk may be traversed horizontallywithin the truck bed.

According to yet another aspect, there is provided a collapsible foldingtruck trunk for use with a vehicle including a storage area having awheel well extending into the storage area is disclosed. The collapsiblefolding truck trunk comprises a base wall including a plurality of basepanels pivotally connected to each other, and a side wall pivotallyconnected to the base wall. The side wall extends from the base wall andterminates at an upper edge. The side wall and base wall collectivelydefine a storage cavity. The base wall and the side wall each have anexpandable portion conformable to the wheel well in response toplacement of the base wall and the side wall over the wheel well. Thecollapsible folding truck trunk is selectively transitional between acollapsed configuration and a deployed configuration. In the collapsedconfiguration, the plurality of base panels overlap each other, and inthe deployed configuration, the plurality of base panels are co-planarto each other. The upper edge of the side wall moves away from the basewall as the collapsible folding truck trunk transitions from thecollapsed configuration toward the deployed configuration.

The expandable portion of the base wall and the side wall may becomprised of an elastic sheet.

Each of the plurality of base panels may be of a quadrangularconfiguration.

The side wall may be comprised of plurality of side wall panels. Theside wall may extend around the base wall. The side wall may include acutout formed therein, with the cutout extending from the upper edge andtoward the base wall.

The collapsible folding truck trunk may additionally include a dividerselectively engageable with the base wall to divide the storage cavityinto two discrete regions. The collapsible folding truck trunk mayfurther comprise a hook and loop fastener coupled to the divider and thebase wall for facilitating selective engagement between the divider andthe base wall.

The collapsible folding truck trunk may include a cover engageable withthe side wall to extend over the storage cavity. The cover may beengageable with the side wall via a zipper.

In still a further embodiment, there is provided a collapsible foldingtruck trunk for use in a truck bed having a wheel well and a rear end.The collapsible folding truck trunk includes a base wall comprised of aplurality of base panels pivotally connected to each other, and a sidewall pivotally connected to the base wall. The side wall extends fromthe base wall and terminates at an upper edge, with the side wall andbase wall collectively defining a storage cavity. The collapsiblefolding truck trunk is selectively transitional between a collapsedconfiguration and a deployed configuration. In the collapsedconfiguration, the plurality of base panels overlap each other, and inthe deployed configuration, the plurality of base panels are co-planarto each other. The upper edge of the side wall moves away from the basewall as the collapsible folding truck trunk transitions from thecollapsed configuration toward the deployed configuration. Thecollapsible folding truck trunk is sized and structured to be placeablebetween the wheel well and the rear end of the truck bed when thecollapsible folding truck trunk is in the deployed configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodimentsdisclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the followingdescription and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the trunk traversed to a backposition;

FIG. 2 illustrates the trunk with a lid and tailgate in an openposition;

FIG. 2A illustrates an exploded view of the trunk shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 illustrates the trunk traversed to a front position with the lidin the open position;

FIG. 4 illustrates the trunk shown in FIG. 3 with a back panel formingan enclosed space;

FIG. 5 illustrates the trunk shown in FIG. 4 with the lid in a closedposition;

FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the trunk traversed to a backposition;

FIG. 7 illustrates the trunk with the lid and the tailgate in the openposition;

FIG. 7A illustrates an exploded view of the trunk shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 illustrates the trunk in a collapsed position;

FIG. 9 illustrates the trunk shown in FIG. 8 traversed to a frontposition;

FIG. 10 illustrates the trunk shown in FIG. 9 with a back panel mountedthereto to form the enclosed space;

FIG. 11 illustrates the trunk with the lid in a closed position;

FIG. 12 is a third embodiment of the trunk traversed to a back position;

FIG. 13 illustrates the trunk with the lid and the tailgate in the openposition;

FIG. 13A illustrates an exploded view of the trunk shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 14 illustrates a bottom panel being folded upward to traverse thetrunk in an undeployed state;

FIG. 15 illustrates the trunk with a front panel being folded upward totraverse the trunk in the undeployed state;

FIG. 16 illustrates the trunk being traversed to the front position;

FIG. 17 illustrates the trunk with the front panel being unfolded totraverse the trunk in the deployed state;

FIG. 18 illustrates the trunk with the bottom panel being unfolded totraverse the trunk in the deployed state;

FIG. 19 illustrates a back panel being mounted to the trunk to form theenclosed space;

FIG. 20 illustrates the trunk with the lid in the closed position;

FIG. 21 illustrates the trunk in the undeployed state mounted to a roofof a cab of a truck;

FIG. 22 illustrates the trunk shown in FIG. 21 with the lid in an upposition;

FIG. 23A illustrates a locking mechanism of the lid;

FIG. 23B illustrates the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 23Aincorporated into the trunk and bed of the truck;

FIG. 24 is an exploded perspective view of the third embodiment of thetrunk and the trunk liner;

FIG. 25 illustrates the trunk liner inserted into the trunk shown inFIG. 24;

FIG. 26 illustrates the trunk liner being folded along with the trunk;

FIG. 27 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the trunk in combination witha tonneau cover;

FIG. 28 illustrates the trunk shown in FIG. 27 with the tonneau cover ina raised position and a partition disposed against the front wall of atrunk;

FIG. 29 illustrates the trunk shown in FIG. 28 with the partitiondisposed in a middle of the trunk;

FIG. 30 illustrates the trunk traversed to a back position with thepartition removed from the trunk;

FIG. 31 illustrates the trunk in the back position with the partitioninstalled at a rear position of the trunk;

FIG. 32 is an enlarged view of the trunk and the tonneau cover;

FIG. 33 is an upper perspective view of a pickup truck having a truckbed, with a cover extending over the truck bed;

FIG. 34 is an upper perspective view of the pickup truck of FIG. 33,with the cover being removed from the truck bed to expose a collapsiblefolding truck trunk stored in the truck bed adjacent a cab of the pickuptruck;

FIG. 35 is an upper perspective view of the pickup truck and collapsiblefolding truck trunk of FIG. 34, with the collapsible folding truck trunkbeing moved away from the cab to facilitate unfolding of the collapsiblefolding truck trunk;

FIG. 36 is an upper perspective view of the pickup truck and collapsiblefolding truck trunk, with the collapsible folding truck trunk being an apartially deployed configuration;

FIG. 37 is an upper perspective view of the pickup truck and collapsiblefolding truck trunk, with the collapsible folding truck trunk includinga primary unit completely unfolded, and a dividing wall exploded fromthe primary unit;

FIG. 38 is an upper perspective view of the pickup truck and collapsiblefolding truck trunk, with the primary unit being placed over a wheelwell;

FIG. 39 is an upper perspective view of the pickup truck and anotherembodiment of the collapsible folding truck trunk sized to fit betweenthe wheel well and a rear end of the truck bed; and

FIG. 40 is an upper perspective view of the pickup truck and thecollapsible folding truck trunk in a collapsed configuration and storedin the cab of the pickup truck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, a trunk 10, 12, 14, 300, 436, 536 for abed 16 of the truck 18 is shown in FIGS. 2A, 7A 13A, 28, 38, and 39. Thetrunk 10, 12, 14, 300, 436, 536 provides an isolated space within thebed 16 of the truck 18 in that various panels of the trunk 10, 12, 14,300, 436, 536 provide a barrier from surfaces of the bed 16 of the truck18 so that objects (e.g., groceries) may be placed in the trunk 10, 12,14, 300, 436, 536 and protected from dirt on the surfaces of the bed 16of the truck 18. The trunk 10, 12, 14 may be positioned in a backposition, as shown in FIGS. 1, 6, 12 and 31. Alternatively, the trunk10, 12, 14 may also be horizontally traversed to a front position asshown in FIGS. 5, 11, 20 and 28. The trunk 10, 12, 14, 300 may be easilytraversed between the front and back positions so that great strength isnot required to reconfigure the position of the trunk 10, 12, 14, 300within the truck bed 16. Weaker people may reconfigure the trunk 10, 12,14, 300 between the front and back positions without assistance or helpfrom another person. Additionally, in both the front and back positions,the trunk 10, 12, 14, 300 may provide an enclosed space that may belocked to provide security for items placed within the enclosed space.Additionally, in FIGS. 27-32, the trunk 300 may comprise a tonneau cover302 and a trunk 304.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1-6, the trunk 10 may behorizontally slidable and mounted to the left and right rails 20, 22(see FIG. 2A) that are attached to upper lips 24, 26 of left and rightside walls 28, 30. The trunk 10 may be traversed to the back position sothat groceries 32 and other items may be easily placed in the trunk 10(see FIG. 2) and retrieved therefrom. To open the trunk 10, the user maylift up a lid 34 of the trunk 10 and/or pull down a tailgate 36 of thetruck bed 16. The trunk 10 may also be easily traversed to the frontposition by sliding the trunk 10 in a horizontal direction 40 (see FIG.3) toward the cab 38 of the truck 18. When the trunk 10 is in the frontposition, panel 42 may be removed from an underside of the lid 34 andfixed in place in order to form the enclosed space of the trunk 10 asshown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, the back panel 42may remain secured under the lid 34 and the lid 34 flipped up so that amotorcycle 88 may be loaded onto the bed 16 of the truck 18 therebyutilizing a full length of the truck bed 16.

The trunk 10 may include a front panel 44, a bottom panel 46, left andright sections 48, 50, the lid 34 and the back panel 42 as shown in FIG.2. The bottom panel 46 may be rigidly fixed to the front panel 44. Theleft and right sections 48, 50 may be identical but mirror images ofeach other and have a step 52, 54 that accommodates the left and rightwheel wells 56, 58 of the truck bed 16 so that the trunk 10 may beeasily traversed between the front and back positions without having tovertically lift the trunk 10 over the wheel wells 56, 58 of the truckbed 16. The bottom panel 46 may be disposed close to but not in contactwith a floor 60 (see FIG. 2A) of the truck bed 16 so that the trunk 10may easily slide in the horizontal direction. The left and rightsections 48, 50 have steps 52, 54. The steps 52, 54 are positioned abovethe highest point 62 of the wheel wells 56, 58. The highest point of thewheel well 58 is not shown but is identical to the highest point 62 ofthe wheel well 56.

The trunk 10 may be horizontally slidable and mounted to the left andright side walls 28, 30 of the truck bed 16. In particular, left andright rails 20, 22 of the trunk 10 may be fixedly secured to the upperlips 24, 26 of the left and right side walls 28, 30 of the truck bed 16.In order to secure the left and right rails 20, 22 to the upper lips 24,26 of the left and right side walls 28, 30 of the truck bed 16, the leftand right rails 20, 22 may be bolted to the upper lips 24, 26 of theleft and right side walls 28, 30. Alternatively, the left and rightrails 20, 22 may have enlarged nubs 64 that fit within the keyholeshaped slot 66 formed in the upper lips 24, 26 of the left and rightside walls 28, 30. The left and right sections 48, 50 may have tongues68, 70 that fit within the grooves 72, 74 of the left and right rails20, 22. Preferably, the tongues 68, 70 and the grooves 72, 74 may have awedge-shaped configuration that slideably mates with each other.Moreover, the grooves 72, 74 may optionally have ball bearings that helpto support the trunk 10 and to allow convenient and easy horizontaltraversal of the trunk 10 between the back and front positions on therails 20, 22.

The left and right sections 48, 50 may have a cross-sectionalconfiguration that conforms to a cross-sectional inner profile of theleft and right side walls 28, 30 including its wheel wells. In thisregard, the left and right sections 48, 50 may be close to but do notcontact the left and right side walls 28, 30 and the wheel wells 56, 58of the truck bed 16 to allow for horizontal traversal of the trunk 10between the front and back positions without vertical lifting ortraversal of the trunk 10.

The trunk 10 may be secured in the front or back positions by way of aset screw 76. When the trunk 10 is in the back position, the set screws76 are engaged in the holes 78. The set screws 76 push down andfrictionally engage the tongues 68, 70 to prevent movement of the trunk10. When the trunk 10 is in the front position, the set screws 76 areengaged in the holes 80. The set screws 76 push down and frictionallyengage the tongues 68, 70 of the trunk 10 to prevent horizontal movementof the trunk 10. Alternatively or additionally, a detent may beincorporated into the trunk 10 and rails 20, 22. The detent may beoperative to lock the trunk 10 in either the back position or the frontposition.

To install the trunk 10 to the truck bed 16, the left and right rails20, 22 are attached to the left and right side walls 28, 30 of the truckbed 16. As discussed above, there are at least two methods of attachingor fixedly securing the left and right rails 20, 22 to the side walls28, 30. In particular, the keyhole shaped slot 66 may be formed in theupper lips 24, 26 of the truck bed 16. These keyhole shaped slotsreceive nubs 64 of the left and right rails 20, 22. The nubs 64 areinserted into the keyhole shaped slot and secured thereto in order tofix the left and right rails 20, 26. Alternatively, the left and rightrails 20, 22 may be bolted to the upper lips 24, 26 of the left andright side walls 28, 30. The left and right rails 20, 22 have grooves72, 74. These grooves 72, 74 are directed inwardly toward the center ofthe bed 16 of the truck. These grooves 72, 74 may run the entire lengthor a substantial portion of the length of the truck bed 16 so that thetrunk 10 may be traversed horizontally between the front and backpositions without having to lift the trunk 10 vertically. As shown anddescribed, the grooves 72, 74 formed on the left and right rails 20, 22which receive the tongues 68, 70 of the trunk 10. However, the oppositesituation is contemplated in that the grooves 72, 74 may be formed onthe trunk 10 which receives tongues 68, 70 formed in the rails 20, 22along the length of the rails 20, 22.

Before tightening the left and right rails 20, 22 to the upper lips 24,26 of the left and right side walls 28, 30, the left and right rails 20,22 may be slightly loose so as to be capable of rattling. In this state,the tongues 68, 70 of the trunk 10 may be inserted into the respectivegrooves 72, 74 of the left and right rails 20, 22. With the tongues 68,70 disposed within the grooves 72, 74, the left and right rails 20, 22may now be adjusted and tightened onto the upper lips 24, 26 of the leftand right side walls 28, 30.

The tongues 68, 70 are linearly traversable within the grooves 72, 74 toallow the trunk 10 to be horizontally traversable between the front andback positions. By being horizontally traversable, a person that mightnot be that strong may easily move the trunk 10 between the front andback positions depending on the desired use or nonuse of the trunk 10.If the trunk 10 is in the back position, the user may use the trunk 10as a normal place to carry his or her groceries. If the trunk 10 is inthe front position, then the user may use the trunk 10 similar to atoolbox. Alternatively, the lid 34 of the trunk 10 may be disposed inthe up position so that the user may place a motorcycle 88 in the bed 16of the truck as shown in FIG. 3.

The lid 34 of the trunk 10, 12, 14 is lockable in the down position (seeFIG. 1). Referring to FIG. 23A, B, the lid 34 may have a mechanism 82with arms 84 that may extend under the upper lips 24, 26 of the left andright sidewalls 28, 30 to lock the lid 34 in the down position. In orderto traverse the lid 34 to the up position (see FIG. 2), the user turns alock 86 in the counterclockwise direction so that the arms 84 may clearthe lips 24, 26 of the side walls 28, 30. The lid 34 may then be pivotedupward to the up position and may be locked or supported in the upposition by shocks 134. The lid 34 is pivotable about an upper edge ofthe front panel 44.

FIG. 1 illustrates a trunk 10 installed on the truck bed 16 with thetrunk 10 in the back position. The trunk 10 is used to isolate thingssuch as grocery bags from the soiled surfaces of the truck bed 16 sothat things such as grocery bags do not become soiled by the dirt on thesurfaces of the truck bed. The trunk 10 may be opened in one of twoways, namely, by lifting up the lid 34 or pulling down the tailgate 36of the truck bed 16. To move the trunk 10 from the back position to thefront position, the user releases the trunk 10 either by loosening setscrews 76 or releasing detents. The trunk 10 is traversed forward in thedirection of arrow 40 and locked into place with set screws 76 ordetent. In the front position, the trunk 10 may be moved out of the wayby simply lifting the lid 34 as shown in FIG. 3. In this manner, amotorcycle 88 may be loaded and transported in the bed 16 of the truck18. Alternatively, the trunk 10 may form an enclosed space by removingthe back panel 42 and engaging the back panel 42 to the bottom panel 46and the left and right sections 48, 50, as shown in FIG. 4. To removethe back panel 42 from the lid 34, straps 90 under the lid 34 with hooksand loops may be released. The back panel 42 may be secured to thebottom panel 46 and the left and right sections 48, 50 via means knownin the art or developed in the future. The lid 34 may extend beyondupper edges of the front panel 44, back panel 42 and left and rightsections 48, 50 so that rainwater does not enter the enclosed space ofthe trunk 10. Moreover, other water sealing or water proofing methodsthat are known in the art or developed in the future may be incorporatedinto the trunk 10.

Referring now the FIGS. 6-11, a second embodiment of the trunk 12 isshown. The trunk 12 is identical to the trunk 10 except that the trunk12 has upper and lower telescoping sections 100, 102. Additionally, thetrunk 12 does not have steps in the left and right sections as in thetruck embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 to allow for the wheel wells of thetruck bed 16.

The trunk 12 may be disposed either in front of or behind the wheelwells 56, 58 of the truck bed 16 since the left and right sections 48 a,50 a are not contoured to the corresponding shape of the wheel wells 56,58. Rather, the left and right sections 48 a and 50 a are verticallyflat. The trunk 12 provides more room in the width direction of theenclosed space since the left and right sections 48, 50 do not have thesteps 52, 54 as in trunk 10.

The trunk 12 is traversable between the front and back positions asshown in FIGS. 6 and 11. The trunk 12 is traversed in the horizontaldirection when traversed between the front and back positions so that amother or a person that does not have great strength may reconfigure thetrunk 12 as needed either for storing things such as groceries orreconfiguring the trunk 12 so that a motorcycle may be loaded on thetruck bed 16. In order to traverse the trunk 12 between the front andback positions, the lower section 102 must be collapsed into the uppersection 100, as shown in FIG. 8. By doing so, the lower section 102clears the wheel wells 56, 58 of the truck bed 16 so that the trunk 12may be horizontally traversed to the front position, as shown in FIG. 9.The same is also true when the trunk 12 is traversed from the frontposition to the back position. The lower section 102 must be raised andcollapsed into the upper section 100 so that the lower section 102clears the wheel wells 56, 58 of the truck bed 16 when traversing thetrunk 12 between the front and back positions.

The lid 34 may be larger than the upper section 100 and the lowersection 102 may be slightly smaller than the upper section 100. Whenwater that falls on the lid 34 the water cascades onto the upper section100, and in turn cascades onto the lower section 102. In this manner,the trunk 12 does not collect water in the enclosed space. Water alsocascades off of the lid 34 and onto the tailgate of the truck bed 16since the lid 34 extends over the tailgate as shown in FIG. 6. Theoversized nature of the lid 34 is also incorporated into the trunks 10,14.

The upper and lower sections 100, 102 may be fabricated from left andright panels 104, 106, 108, 110. The left and right panels 104, 106,108, 110 are attached to front panel's 112, 114 of the upper and lowersection 100, 102. As discussed above, the lower section 102 slides upand down within the upper section 100. The lower section 102 may slidewithin the upper section 100 via various means such as but not limitedto rails, tongue and groove connections, gear and pinion, etc. Moreover,the lower section 102 may be traversable between an up position whereinthe lower section 102 is collapsed into the upper section 100 or downposition wherein the lower section 102 is extended away from the uppersection 100 to form an enlarged enclosed space.

The lower section 102 may be retained in the up or down positions with aclamp or detent mechanism known in the art or developed in the future.

Additionally, when the trunk 12 is disposed in the front position asshown in FIG. 10, a back panel 42 a may be removed from the underside ofthe lid 34 by undoing straps 92 a. The straps 92 a may be lined withhook and loop fasteners which are removed in order to release the backpanel 42 a from the lid 34. The back panel 42 a mounts onto the uppersection 102 and/or the lower section 100 in order to form the enclosedspace of the trunk 12. The back panel 42 a is shown as being short inorder to fit on the trunk 12 when the lower section 102 is collapsedinto the upper section 100. However, it is also contemplated that theback panel 42 a may be taller so that the back panel 42 a may fit ontothe trunk 12 when the lower section 102 is in the down position and thetrunk 12 is in the front position. When the back panel 42 a is mountedto the trunk 12, the back panel 42 a may form the enclosed space withinthe trunk 12. The back panel 42 a may extend from the bottom panel tothe lid 34 when closed. The lower section 102 is shown as being in theup position when the trunk 12 is in the front position. However, it isalso contemplated that the lower section 102 may be in either the up ordown positions when the trunk 12 is in the front position.

When the trunk is in the back position as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, theuser has an option of either creating a larger enclosed space bypositioning the lower section 102 in the down position or creating asmaller enclosed space by traversing the lower section 102 to the upposition, as shown in FIG. 8. Likewise, when the trunk 12 is in thefront position as shown in FIG. 10, the user may create a smallerenclosed space by traversing the lower section 102 to the up positionand fitting the back panel 42 a as shown in FIG. 10. Alternatively, theuser may remove the back panel 42 a and secure it 42 a to the undersideof the lid 34 and draw the lower section 102 to the down position. Withthe lid 34 pivoted upward as shown in FIG. 10, the user may load amotorcycle onto the bed 16 of the truck 18. Alternatively, the trunk 12may be provided with two different back panels 42 a. These two differentback panels 42 a may be a short back panel 42 a wherein the short backpanel 42 a mounts to the trunk 12 when the lower section 102 is disposedin the up position. The larger of the two back panels 42 a may bemounted to the trunk 12 when the lower section 102 is disposed in thedown position. In this regard, the trunk 12 is capable of providing alarger or smaller enclosed space.

Referring now to FIGS. 12-22, the trunk 14 is illustrated. The trunk 14is identical to trunk 10 except in the following manner. The trunk 14 istraversable between front and back positions as shown in FIGS. 12 and 20when deployed. The trunk 14 also has various stowaway configurationsshown in FIGS. 15, 16 and 20. In FIG. 15, the trunk 14 is beingtransitioned to an undeployed state wherein the lid 34 is secured to theupper lips 24, 26 of the left and right side walls 28, 30 of the truckbed 16. Objects may be slid under the undeployed trunk 12 that can fitthrough opening 130.

FIG. 16 illustrates the undeployed trunk 12 being traversed to the frontposition. The trunk 12 may be locked to the front position in theundeployed position so that objects may be placed at the rear of thetruck bed 16, if desired. Similarly, objects can be slid under theundeployed trunk 12. Moreover, if desired, the trunk 12 in itsundeployed state may be mountable to a rooftop 132 of the cab 38 of thetruck 18 so that the user may have full access to the entire area of thetruck bed 16.

More particularly, the trunk 14 may be pivotally secured to the bed 16in either the front or back positions, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 18 aswell as on the roof 132 of the cab 38 shown in FIG. 22. The lid 34 maybe held in the up position by way of shocks 134. The shocks 134 have anextended position shown in FIGS. 13 and 18. In the extended position,the shocks 134 lift the lid 34 upward a sufficient distance so that amotorcycle may be disposed in the trunk 14 or the truck bed 16. In ahalf extended position, as shown in FIG. 22, the lid 34 functions as aspoiler. As such, the shocks 134 pivot the lid 34 upwards a bit alongits front edge in order to create downward pressure as the truck 18moves forward. When the trunk 14 is disposed at either the front or backpositions, the shocks 134 are pivotally secured to both the lid 34 andthe upper lips 24, 26 of the left and right side walls 28, 30 of thetruck bed 16. When the lid 34 is pivoted downward, the shocks 134collapse to allow for the pivoting motion of the lid 34.

The trunk 14 may have a front panel 150, bottom panel 152 and a backpanel 154. The front panel 115 is pivotally attached to a front of thelid 134 so that the front panel 150 may be folded under the lid 34.Additionally, the bottom panel 152 is pivotally attached to a lower edgeof the front panel 150. Moreover, the bottom panel 152 and the backfront panel 150 may be folded under the lid 34 and locked in position inorder to have full access to the truck bed 16 as described above.Additionally, the bottom panel 152 may additionally have left and rightrelief panels 156, 158 that accommodate the wheel wells 56, 58. When thetrunk 14 is in the back position, the relief panels 156, 158 areco-planer with a bottom panel 152. However, when the trunk 14 is in thefront position, the relief panels 156, 158 may be pitched upward againstthe wheel wells 56, 58, as shown in FIG. 18. In the back position, thetailgate forms an enclosed space of the trunk 14. In the front position,the back panel 154 may be removed from the underside of the lid 34 byundoing the straps 92 and securing the back panel 154 to the bottompanel 152 in the left and right side walls 28, 30.

In all of the trunks 10, 12, 14 described herein, the lid 34 may haveleft and right grooves 94, 96. These grooves 94, 96 receive the upperlips 24, 26 of the left and right side walls 28, 30 so that water thatdrips on the lid 34 cascades off of the trunk 10, 12, 14 and onto theside walls 28, 30 of the truck bed 16. Moreover, the back side of thetrunk 10, 12, 14 may have a skirt 98 that overhangs the tailgate of thetruck bed 16 so that water that drips on the trunk 14 cascades over thelid 34 and onto the tailgate in order to create a water resistantenclosed space within the trunk 10, 12, 14.

The trunks 10, 12, 14 may all define a length 200 which is less than alength 202 of the truck bed 16. The length 202 of the truck bed 16 maybe between about 70 inches to about 105 inches. The length 200 of thetrunk 10, 12, 14 may be about one half or less of the length 202 of thetruck bed 16. Preferably, the length 200 of the trunk 10, 12, 14 may beabout 20 inches to about 35 inches.

The trunks 10, 12, 14 may be fabricated from various materials includingbut not limited to carbon fiber, injection molded plastic, metal,aluminum, steel and other materials known in the art or developed in thefuture that is resistant to degradation from UV rays and environmentalpressures such as rain, wind and dust.

The trunks 10, 12, 14 all define an enclosed space within the variouspanels and the lid 34. It is also contemplated that the enclosed spacemay be sealed from the environment with weatherstripping, gasket andother sealants to prevent water from entering the enclosed space whenraining.

Referring now to FIGS. 24-26, a barrier 250 is shown. The barrier 250 isshown as being used in conjunction with trunk 14. However, the barrier250 may also be used in conjunction with trunks 10, 12. As shown in FIG.25, the barrier 250 may be inserted into the enclosed space defined bythe trunk 14. The barrier 250 may have left and right side walls 252,254 and front wall 256 as well as bottom floor 258. The barrier 250 maybe fabricated from an elastomeric material to allow the barrier 250 tocollapse or be folded as shown in FIG. 26 which illustrates the trunk 14being traversed to the undeployed state. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25,the left and right side walls 252, 254 may have a diagonal crease 260.When the bottom panel 152 is pivoted upward as shown in FIG. 26, theleft and right side walls 252, 254 bend at the diagonal crease 260 toallow the barrier 250 to fold into a flat configuration so that thetrunk 14 may be traversed to the undeployed state as shown in FIGS. 16and 21.

Referring now to FIGS. 27-32, the trunk 300 is shown as beinghorizontally traversable and mountable to left and right rails 320, 322(see FIG. 28) that are attached to interior surfaces 306, 308 of theleft and right side walls 28, 30 of the truck bed. The trunk 300comprises the tonneau cover 302 and the trunk 304. To reconfigure thetrunk 300, the user may traverse the trunk 304 to the front positionshown in FIG. 28 or to the back position shown in FIGS. 30 and 31. To doso, the trunk 304 rides on the left and right rails 320, 322. The trunk304 may have left and right male members that engage the left and rightrails 320, 322. In FIG. 32, only the passenger side male member 324 isshown to mates with the left rail 320. However, the driver side also hasa driver side male member that slideably mates with the right rail 322.To access the trunk 304, the user may lift the tonneau cover 302 to theup position shown in FIG. 28. To close the trunk, the user closes thetonneau cover 302 as shown in FIG. 27. In either of the front and backpositions, a partition 310 may be placed against a front wall 312 of thetrunk 304 as shown in FIG. 28. The front wall 312 is covered by thepartition 310 and cannot be seen in FIG. 28 but is visible in FIGS. 29,30 and 31. The partition 310 may also be placed in the middle of thetrunk 304 (see FIG. 29) as well as at a back side of the trunk 304 asshown in FIG. 31.

The partition 310 may be secured to the front middle or back side of thetrunk 304 by way of grooves 314 formed by feet 316 wherein the groove314 is defined by the feet 316. The feet 316 may be placed at variouspositions along the panels of the trunk 304. The feet 316 may be placedon both the left and right sides of the trunk 304 so that the grooves314 formed by the feet 316 can support the left and right sides of thepartition 312. The partition 312 may be inserted into the grooves 314from the top side of the feet. To reposition the partition 310, the userlifts the partition 310 out of one set of grooves/feet 316 and drops thepartition 310 into another set of grooves/feet 316. By doing so, thesize of the enclosure defined by the trunk 304, partition 310 and thetonneau cover 302 is enlarged or reduced as desired by the user. Thepartition 310 is held vertically in place at the front and back of thetrunk 304 with the aid of the feet 316 and the front wall 312 or theback lip.

The left and right sections 348, 350 may be identical but mirror imagesof each other and have a step 352, 354 that accommodates the left andright wheel wells 56, 58 of the truck bed so that the trunk 304 may beeasily traversed between the front and back positions without having tovertically lift the trunk 10 over the wheel wells 56, 58 of the truckbed 16. The bottom panel 346 may be disposed close to but not in contactwith a floor 60 of the truck bed 16 so that the trunk may easily slidein the horizontal direction. The steps 352, 354 may be positioned abovethe highest point 62 of the wheel wells 56, 58. The highest point of thewheel wells 58 is not shown but is identical to the highest point 62(see FIG. 2A) of the wheel well 56.

The trunk 304 may be horizontally slidable and mounted to the left andright side walls 28, 30 of the truck bed. In particular left and rightrails 320, 322 may be fixedly secured to interior surfaces 306, 308 ofthe left and right side walls 28, 30 of the truck bed 16. Preferably,the left and right side rails 320, 322 are positioned parallel and levelwith the floor 60 of the truck bed. In order to secure the left andright rails 320, 322 to the interior surfaces 304, 306 of the left andright side walls 28, 30 of the truck bed 16, the left and right rails320, 322 may be bolted to the interior surfaces 306, 308 of the left andright side walls 28, 30. Alternatively, the left and right rails 320,322 may have enlarged nubs that fit within keyhole shaped slots formedin the interior surfaces 306, 308 of the left and right side walls 28,30. The left and right sections may have tongues 324 that fit within thegrooves 326 of the left and right rails 320, 322. Preferably the tongues324 and the grooves of the rails 320, 322 may have a wedge shapedconfiguration (see FIG. 32) that slidably mates with each other. Inorder to dispose the tongues 324 into the grooves 326 of the left andright rails 320, 322, the rails 320, 322 may be mounted to the left andright side walls of the truck bed. With the tailgate open, the trunk 304is inserted into the truck bed from the rear of the truck bed so thattongues 324 can slide into the grooves 326 of the left and right rails320, 322.

Moreover, the grooves 326 may optionally have ball bearings that help tosupport the trunk 304 and to allow convenient and easy horizontaltraversal of the trunk 304 between the back and front positions on therails 320, 322.

The left and right sections 348, 350 may have cross-sectionalconfiguration that conforms to a cross-sectional inner profile of theleft and right side walls 28, 30 including its wheel wells 56, 58. Inthis regard, the left and right sections 348, 350 may be close to butnot in contact with the left and right side walls 28, 30 and the wheelwells 56, 58 of the truck bed to allow for horizontal traversal of thetrunk 304 between the front and back positions without verticallylifting or traversal of the trunk.

The trunk may be secured in the front and back positions by way of a setscrew. When the trunk is in the back position the set screws are engagedin the holes. The set screw is pushed down and frictionally engages thetongues to prevent movement of the truck. When the trunk is in the frontposition, the set screws are engaged in the holes. The set screws pushdown and frictionally engage tongues of the trunk 304 to preventhorizontal movement of the trunk 304. Alternatively or additionally, adetent may be incorporated into the trunk 304 and the rails 320, 322.The detent may be operative to lock the trunk 304 in either the backposition or the front position.

The trunk 300 was described as having the tongues 324 mounted to thetrunk 304 and mating left and right rails 320, 322 having grooves 326.However, it is also contemplated that the reverse configuration may beimplemented. In particular, the grooves 326 may be formed in the members324 that are attached to the trunk 304 and the left and right rails 320,322 may have tongues that are received into the grooves formed in themembers 324.

To install the trunk 304 to the truck bed 16, the left and right rails320, 322 may be attached to the left and right side walls 28, 30 of thetruck bed 16. As discussed above, there are at least two methods ofattaching or fixedly securing the left and right rails 320, 322 to theside walls 28, 30. In particular, the keyhole shaped slots may be formedin the interior surfaces 306, 308 of the truck bed 16. These keyholeshaped slots receive nubs of the left and right rails 320, 322. The nubsare inserted into keyhole shaped slot and secured thereto in order tofix the left and right rails 320, 322. Alternatively, the left and rightrails 320, 322 may be bolted to the interior surfaces 306, 308 of theleft and right side walls 28, 30. The left and right rails 320, 322 mayhave grooves 326. These grooves 326 may be directed inwardly toward thecenter of the bed of the truck. These grooves may run the entire lengthor a substantial portion of the length of the truck bed so that thetruck trunk 304 may be traversed horizontally between front and backpositions without having to lift the trunk 304 vertically. As shown anddescribed, the groove formed on the left and right rails 320, 322receive the tongues of the trunk 304.

Before tightening the left and right rails 320, 322 to the interiorsurfaces 306, 308 of the left and right side walls 28, 30, the left andright rails 320, 322 may be slightly loose so as to be capable ofrattling. In this state, the tongues 324 of the trunk 304 may beinserted into respective grooves of the left and right rails 320, 322.With the tongues disposed within the grooves, the left and right rails320, 322 may now be adjusted and tightened onto the interior surfaces306, 308 of the left and right side walls 28, 30.

The tongues may be linearly traversable within the grooves to allow thetrunk 304 to be horizontally traversable between front and backpositions. By being horizontally traversable, a person that may not bethat strong may easily move the trunk between the front and backpositions depending on the desired use of the trunk 304. If the trunk isin the back position, then the user may use the trunk 304 as a normalplace to carry groceries. If the trunk 304 is in the front position,then the user may use the trunk 304 similar to a toolbox. In this fourthembodiment, the top of the trunk 304 is covered by way of the tonneaucover 302. The tonneau cover 302 extends the full length of the truckbed so that regardless of the position of the trunk 304, the top of thetrunk 304 covers the trunk 304 when the tonneau cover 302 is in the downposition.

In operation, the trunk 304 is locked either to the back position or thefront position. If the user wants to segregate a portion of the truckbed into a smaller area to form a trunk 300, the user lifts thepartition 310 and either disposes the partition in the middle or in theback side of the trunk 304 by engaging the partition 310 into therespective grooves. To close the trunk 300, the user traverses thetonneau cover 302 to the down position. To access the trunk 300, theuser traverses the tonneau cover 302 to the up position. In this regard,the trunk 300 is versatile in that it utilizes existing tonneau covers302.

The tonneau cover 302 may be a tonneau cover sold in the marketcurrently or developed in the future. The trunk 304 is disposed belowthe tonneau cover 302 so that the trunk 304 operates in conjunction withtonneau covers 302 sold in the marketplace currently. The tonneau cover302 shown in the drawings is one where the cover 302 is pivoted up anddown at a hinge located adjacent to the cab of the truck. In the downposition, the cover 302 closes the bed area of the truck and also closesoff access to the truck trunk except through the tailgate when thepartition 310 is in place. In the up position, the truck trunk isaccessible through the top of the bed area. The tonneau cover 302 shownin the drawings are shown as being disposed above the left and rightsidewalls of the truck bed. However, other types of tonneau covers 302are also contemplated and may be used in conjunction with the trunk 304.By way of example and not limitation, the trunk 304 may be used inconjunction with ROLL COVERS sold by TRUCK COVERS USA of San Diego,Calif. or a BAKFLIP sold by AMAZING TRUCK ACCESSORIES LP of Conroe, Tex.In these alternative types of tonneau covers, the covers are flush orbelow the upper surfaces of the left and right sidewalls of the truckbed.

The tonneau cover 302, partition 310 and the trunk 304 may be fabricatedfrom a generally rigid material. By way of example and not limitation,any one of the tonneau cover 302, partition 310 and the trunk 304 may befabricated from steel, aluminum, plastic, fiberglass, rubber, carbonfiber, canvas, carpet or combinations thereof. This means that thetonneau cover 302, partition 310 and the trunk 304 may be fabricatedfrom the same material (e.g., 302, 304, 310 may all be fabricated fromcarbon fiber) or different materials (e.g., 302 may be fabricated fromsteel, 304 may be fabricated from carbon fiber, 310 may be fabricatedfrom aluminum).

Referring now to FIGS. 33-40, various embodiments of a collapsiblefolding truck trunk are depicted, which may be specifically sized andstructured to facilitate use of the collapsible folding truck trunkwithin an area of the vehicle including the wheel well, such as the bedof a pickup truck. The collapsible folding truck trunk may be designedto stretch over the wheel well or reside between the wheel well and therear end of the vehicle. As such, whereas the wheel well has interferedwith the deployment and use of conventional truck trunks, thecollapsible folding truck trunk disclosed herein may be capable of beingused in the area adjacent the wheel well so as to maximize storage onthe vehicle. Furthermore, the collapsible folding truck trunk may alsoallow a user to store smaller items, such as groceries, and otherpersonal items, therein to prevent such items from being tossed aboutthe bed of the pickup truck during movement of the pickup truck. Inaddition, the ability of the trunk to be placed near the wheel well mayallow the user to easily access the collapsible folding trunk from therear end of the pickup truck.

Referring now to FIG. 33, the pickup truck 18 depicted therein includespassenger cabin 38, i.e., “cab,” and truck bed 16. The exemplary cab 38includes a pair of driver's side doors and a pair of passenger's sidedoors opposite the driver's side doors. It is understood that while theexemplary cab 38 includes two rows of seating, and thus, two doors oneach side of the cab 38, it is contemplated that the pickup truck 18 mayinclude a single row of seating, and thus, may include only one door oneach side of the cab 38. The cab 38 may include a rear wall 39positioned behind the seating in the cab 38 and defining a rear end ofthe cab 38. Many pickup trucks 18 include a window in the rear wall 39,but it is also contemplated that the rear wall 39 may be formed withouta window.

The truck bed 16 may be positioned to the rear of the cab 38 and mayinclude a forward wall 41 (see FIG. 35), the pair of side walls 28, 30and tailgate 36 extending between the pair of side walls 28, 30 andpivotally coupled to a truck bed floor 23 (see FIG. 34). The truck bed16 defines a storage area of the pickup truck 18, wherein the driver mayplace items for transport. The truck bed floor 23 may be formed withribs to enhance the strength thereof. The truck bed floor 23 includes arear end 25 opposite the cab 38 and adjacent the tailgate 36. Thetailgate 36 may be transitional between a raised position (see FIG. 33),wherein the tailgate 36 may be generally perpendicular to the truck bedfloor 23 to retain items in the truck bed 16, and a lowered position(see FIGS. 34-40), wherein the tailgate 36 may generally form acontinuation of the truck bed floor 23 to facilitate removal of itemsfrom the truck bed 16. It is understood that instead of a tailgate 36,some pickup trucks 10 may include a net or other element extendingbetween the pair of side walls 28, 30 adjacent the rear of the truck bed16 to prevent items from sliding off the truck bed 16 as the pickuptruck 18 moves.

The pickup truck 18 additionally includes a pair of front wheels 27, apair of rear wheels 29, and a pair of wheel wells 31 (see FIG. 34)formed therein to accommodate the pair of rear wheels 29. In thisregard, the wheel wells 31 include the portion of the truck bed 16 thatextends over the rear wheels 29. The wheel wells 31 may be spaced fromthe rear end 25 of the truck bed floor 23 by a distance D. In manyinstances, each wheel well 31 may include a protruding portion thatextends above the truck bed floor 23 between the side walls 28, 30 ofthe truck bed 16. The protruding portion in the exemplary embodimentincludes an arcuate body.

As shown in FIG. 32, a tonneau cover 432 may extend over the truck bed16 to enclose the storage area defined by the truck bed 16. The tonneaucover 432 may be selectively transitional between an extendedconfiguration (see FIG. 33) and a collapsed configuration (see FIGS.34-40). In the extended configuration, the tonneau cover 432 may extendover the truck bed 16 in one direction from the tailgate 36 to theforward wall 41, and in another direction between the pair of side walls28, 30. As the tonneau cover 432 moves from the extended configurationtoward the collapsed configuration, the degree by which the tonneaucover 432 extends over the truck bed 16 may decrease, and vice versa.The tonneau cover 432 may be folded or rolled onto itself to assume thecollapsed configuration. In the exemplary embodiment, the tonneau cover432 is formed of three panels 434 or regions pivotally coupled to eachother to facilitate selective transition of the tonneau cover 432between the extended configuration and the collapsed configuration. Thethree panels 434 may be folded onto each other, and moved toward the cab38 to assume the collapsed configuration and to uncover the truck bed16.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 34, one embodiment of a collapsiblefolding truck trunk 436 is shown in a collapsed configuration and isstored against the forward wall 41 of the truck bed 16. In the collapsedconfiguration, the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 may be folded soas to be sized to fit within the truck bed 16 and may be capable ofhaving a form factor which does not protrude above an upper surface 43the truck bed 16 so as not to interfere with the tonneau cover 432 whenthe tonneau cover 432 is in the extended configuration. In oneimplementation, when the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 is in thecollapsed configuration, the periphery of the collapsible folding trucktrunk 436 may be slightly smaller than the forward wall 41 of the truckbed 16. As will be described in more detail below, the collapsiblefolding truck trunk 436 may be transitional from the collapsedconfigured to a deployed configuration for use in storing items withinthe truck bed 16. As used herein, the term “collapse” may refer broadlyto the ability to transition from a deployed, enlarged configuration, toa stowed, smaller configuration. Thus, with regard to the collapsiblefolding truck trunk 436, it is contemplated that the trunk 436 may be“collapsed” via folding, bunching, rolling, deflating, bending, or othertechniques known in the art which allow the trunk to occupy a smallervolume.

FIGS. 34 and 35 show the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 in thecollapsed configuration, while FIG. 36 shows the collapsible foldingtruck trunk 436 in an intermediate configuration between the collapsedconfiguration and the deployed configuration, and FIGS. 37 and 38 showthe collapsible folding truck trunk 436 in the deployed configuration.

The collapsible folding truck trunk 436 may include a base wall 440 (seeFIGS. 37 and 38) and a side wall 442 (see FIGS. 37 and 38) pivotallyconnected to the base wall 440. The base wall 440 may be sized andstructured so as to extend over the floor 23 of the truck bed 16 whenthe collapsible folding truck trunk 436 is in the deployedconfiguration. The base wall 440 may be comprised of a plurality of basepanels 444 pivotally connected to each other. In the exemplaryembodiment, the base wall 440 includes a pair of base panels 444separated by a pivot fold 446, wherein each of the base panels 444 is ofa quadrangular configuration. However, it is contemplated that the shapeand number of base panels 444 may vary without departing from the spiritand scope of the present disclosure. For instance, the base wall 440 maybe circular, and include semi-circular base panels. Each base panel 444may be comprised of a rigid insert surrounded by a fabric cover, such asa cardboard, plastic, or rubber insert surrounded by a nylon fabriccover, plastic sheet or rubber sheet. Other materials may be used forthe insert and/or the cover without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present disclosure.

The base wall 440 may interface with the floor 23 of the truck bed 16when the trunk 436 is in the deployed configuration, and thus, at leastone surface of the base wall 440 may include a gripping material, suchas rubber, along an external surface thereof. The gripping material mayinhibit sliding of the trunk 436 during movement of the truck 18.

The side wall 442 may extend from the base wall 440 and terminates at anupper edge 448. The side wall 442 and base wall 440 may collectivelydefine a storage cavity 450. The side wall 442 may be comprised ofplurality of side wall panels. The exemplary truck trunk 436 includes afirst side wall panel 452 extending along a longitudinal edge of thebase wall 440, second and third side wall panels 454, 456 extending inopposed relation to each other and from opposed ends of the first sidewall panel 452, and a fourth side wall panel 458 in opposed relation tothe first side wall panel 452. The side wall panels 452, 454, 456, 458may collectively define the side wall 442, which extends around at leasta portion of the base wall 440. Although the exemplary embodimentincludes four side wall panels, it is contemplated that the side wall442 may be comprised of a single, continuous side wall panel. One ormore of the side wall panels 452, 454, 456, 458 may have a pocket panelcoupled thereto to form a pocket for storage of smaller items, such askeys, or other small, personal items.

As shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, the fourth side wall panel 458 may includea cutout 460 extending from the upper edge 448 and toward the base wall440. The cutout 460 may be sized and structured to facilitate insertionof items into the storage cavity 450, and removal of items from thestorage cavity 450, particularly when the tailgate 36 is lowered.Although the exemplary embodiment includes a trunk 436 having a fourthside wall panel 458 having a cutout 460 formed therein, it iscontemplated that the fourth side wall panel 458 may be absent in otherembodiments of the trunk 436, in which case the trunk 436 includes anopening opposite the first side wall panel 452 which is effectively thesame size as the first side wall panel 452.

The collapsible folding truck trunk 436 may be selectively transitionalbetween the collapsed configuration and the deployed configuration. Inthe collapsed configuration, the plurality of base panels 444 mayoverlap each other, such that the base panels 444 are pivoted onto eachother so as to define a common footprint. Moreover, in the collapsedconfiguration, the side wall panels 452, 454, 456 may be folded orbunched together to assume a minimal size. When the collapsible foldingtruck trunk 436 is in the collapsed configuration, the trunk 436 mayassume a generally planar configuration, to facilitate placement of thecollapsed trunk 436 against the forward wall 41 of the truck bed 16, oralternatively, for placement within the cab 38, such as behind a row ofpassenger seating, as is shown in FIG. 40.

In the deployed configuration, the plurality of base panels 444 may beco-planar to each other, such that the base panels 444 are in aside-by-side arrangement, with the pivot fold 46 residing between thebase panels 444. Furthermore, in the deployed configuration, the sidewall panels 452, 454, 456, 458 may assume respective, generally planarconfigurations, with the upper edge 448 of the side wall 442 beingspaced from the base wall 440. Along these lines, as the collapsiblefolding truck trunk 436 moves from the collapsed configuration towardthe deployed configuration, the upper edge 448 of the side wall 442 maymove away from the base wall 440. Adjacent side wall panels 452, 454,456, 458 may be separated by a crease or fold line. Conversely, as thecollapsible folding truck trunk 436 moves from the deployedconfiguration toward the stowed configuration, the upper edge 448 maymove toward the base wall 440.

To transition the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 from the deployedconfiguration toward the collapsed configuration, the side panels 452,454, 456, 458 may be folded over the base wall 440, which may result inbunching or folding of the side panels 452, 454, 456, 458. For instance,the side wall panels 452, 454, 456 may be folded into a generallytriangular configuration as they are folded onto the base wall 440. Oncethe side panels 452, 454, 456, 458 are folded onto the base wall 440,the base wall panels 444 may be folded on to each other, with the sidepanels 452, 454, 456, 458 being captured between the base wall panels444. The collapsible folding truck trunk 436 may include a latch orother locking mechanism for retaining the collapsible folding trucktrunk 436 in the collapsed configuration.

The collapsible folding truck trunk 436 may include one or more handles455 connected to respective portions of the side wall 442 to facilitatelifting and carrying of the trunk 436, particularly when the trunk 436is in the deployed configuration. The handles 455 may be fabricated fromwoven nylon, plastic, rubber, or other materials known in the art. Thetrunk 436 may include at least one pair of handles 455 in opposedrelation to each other, i.e., connected to opposing side wall panels.

The collapsible folding truck trunk 436 may optionally include a divider462 for dividing the storage cavity 450 when the trunk 436 is in thedeployed configuration. In the exemplary embodiment, the divider 462 mayinclude a divider wall 464 and an attachment element 466 coupled to thedivider wall 464. The attachment element 466 may be selectivelyengageable with the base wall 440 to allow the divider wall 464 toextend upwardly from the base wall 440 to divide the storage cavity 450into two discrete regions. According to one embodiment, the attachmentelement 466 includes hook and loop fasteners (i.e., VELCRO™) which maybe attachable to a corresponding strip 468 of hook and loop fastenersextending along the base wall 440 and side wall 442. The attachmentelement 466 may extend along one or more vertical edges of the dividerwall 464 to facilitate connection between the divider wall 464 and theside wall 442. The strip 468 formed on the base wall 440 and side wall442 may be wide enough to allow for selective positioning of the divider462 within the trunk 436. In this regard, the divider 462 may be movedcloser to the side wall panel 52, or alternatively, moved away from theside wall panel 452, based on the desire of the user.

It is contemplated that the divider 462 may not only divide the storagecompartment into several smaller sub-compartments, the divider 462 mayenhance the overall rigidity of the trunk 436 by providing a brace orsupport to opposed side wall panels.

The divider wall 464 may include sufficient internal rigidity toindependently extend upwardly from the base wall 440 when the attachmentelement 466 is attached to the base wall 60. For instance, the dividerwall 464 may include a rigid body, such as a sheet of plastic,cardboard, rubber, or the like. Alternatively, the divider wall 464 maylack internal rigidity, yet still be capable of extending upwardly fromthe base wall 440 via selective attachment to the side wall 442.

The divider 462 depicted in FIGS. 37-39 includes a single divider wallthat extends longitudinally through the storage cavity 450 approximatelyhalfway between the side wall panels 452, 458 to divide the storagecavity 450 into a pair of approximately equal regions. However, it iscontemplated that the divider 462 may include more than one dividerwall, so as to divide the storage cavity into more than two regions. Forinstance, the divider may include a pair of intersecting divider wallsthat segregate the storage cavity 450 into four regions. Furthermore, itis contemplated that the divider may be arranged to extend transverselyacross the storage cavity 450, between side wall panels 454, 456.

The divider 462 may be capable of assuming a generally planarconfiguration, to facilitate storage of the divider 462 when thecollapsible folding truck trunk 436 is in the collapsed configuration.For instance, the divider 462 may be placed between the pair of basepanels 444 when the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 is in thecollapsed configuration.

As noted above, the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 may bespecifically sized and structured to accommodate the protrudingconfiguration of the wheel well 31. In the embodiment depicted in FIG.38, the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 may include an expandableportion 470 which conforms to the physical contour of the wheel well 31as it is placed over the wheel well 31. The expandable portion 470 maybe comprised of a resilient, stretchable element, such as an elasticsheet formed of a stretchable fabric known in the art. Exemplarymaterials may include lycra, neoprene, rubber, as well as otherresiliently stretchable materials.

The expandable portion 470 may form part of the base wall 440 and theside wall 442. In this regard, it is understood that the remainingportions of the base wall 440 and the side wall 442 may generally benon-expandable or rigid. More specifically, the non-expandable portionof the base wall 440 may include an edge 472 that is of a configurationwhich mimics the outer contour of the wheel well 31. Likewise, thenon-expandable portion of the side wall 442 may include an edge 474 thatmimics the outer contour of the wheel well 31. As such, whereas thenon-expandable portions of the base wall 440 and side wall 442 may beconfigured to extend around the periphery of the wheel well 31, theexpandable portion 470 may be designed to extend over the wheel well 31when the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 is positioned in the truckbed 16, with the side wall panel 452 extending between the wheel wells31 (e.g., within a plane that intersects the wheel wells 31). The edges472, 474 may be sized to extend around the wheel well 31 in closeproximity to the wheel well 31 or spaced away from the wheel well 31.

One embodiment of the trunk 436 may include a pair of expandableportions 470 intended to interface with a respective wheel well 31. Inother words, as the deployed trunk 436 is placed in the truck bed 16adjacent the wheel wells 31, each expandable portion 470 may expand overone of the wheel wells 31 to engage with the wheel wells 31. The abilityof the trunk 436 to engage with the wheel wells 31 in a cooperativelyengageable manner may not only enhance the ability to store items nearthe rear of the pickup truck 18, such engagement may also help toprevent movement of the trunk 436 within the truck bed 16 duringmovement of the pickup truck 18.

According to one implementation, each expandable portion 470 may extendin one direction from the respective side panel 454, 456 by an amount inthe range of 8-24 inches, and in another direction from the base wall440 by an amount in the range of 8-24 inches. In this regard, the sizeof the expandable portion 470 may be varied to accommodate wheel wells31 that vary in dimension. However, it is also contemplated that thetrunk 436 may be useable with different truck beds 14, with theexpandable portion 470 providing an ability to universally fit differentsized wheel wells 14.

The ability of the expandable portion 470 to expand over the wheel well31 as the trunk 436 is placed in its desired position may beattributable to the elastic nature of the expandable portion 470. Thus,as the expandable portion 470 is placed over the wheel well 31 andexpands, an internal tension within the expandable portion 470 mayincrease. Such tension may bias the trunk 436 out of position on thetruck bed 16. However, the trunk 436 may be of sufficient weight toovercome such biasing force and maintain the trunk 436 in the desiredposition.

According to another embodiment, the expandable portion 470 may befabricated from a non-elastic, yet expandable structure, such as a pieceof preformed fabric, which is capable of being deployed over the wheelwell 31. In this regard, the term “preformed” refers to the size andshape of the fabric as being similar to at least a portion of the wheelwell 31 to allow the expandable portion 470 to extend over the wheelwell 31 as the expandable portion 470 is placed over the wheel well 31.In this regard, the preformed fabric may be capable of extending overthe wheel well 31 without increasing the tension within the preformedfabric.

While the collapsible folding truck trunk 436 depicted in FIG. 38 may bespecifically designed to accommodate the wheel well 31 by including theexpandable portion 470 to extend around the wheel well 31, it iscontemplated that other embodiments may accommodate the wheel well 31through other structural features. One such embodiment is depicted inFIG. 39, which includes a collapsible folding truck trunk 536 which maybe formed without an expandable portion, yet may still allow the trucktrunk 536 to be used without interference from the wheel well 31. Inparticular, the collapsible folding truck trunk 536 is designed to besized and dimensioned to reside in the space between the wheel well 31and the rear end 25 of the truck bed floor 23.

The collapsible folding truck trunk 536 is similar to the collapsiblefolding truck trunk 436 described above, except for the differencesdiscussed below. Thus, the following discussion of the truck trunk 536will be focused on the unique attributes of the collapsible foldingtruck trunk 536 relative to the truck trunk 436.

The collapsible folding truck trunk 536 may include a base wall 140 anda side wall 142 including side panels 552, 554, 556, 558. Thecollapsible folding truck trunk 536 may include a depth “d” defined asthe distance between the side panels 552, 558, or in the case of a trunk536 which does not include a side panel 558, the distance between theopposed lateral edges of the base wall 540. The collapsible foldingtruck trunk 536 may be sized and dimensioned such that the depth “d” ofthe collapsible folding truck trunk 536 is slightly less than or equalto the distance D between the wheel well 31 and the rear end 25 of thetruck bed floor 23. The side panel 552 may abut against the wheel wells31, which may prevent the trunk 536 from sliding toward the cab 38during movement of the truck 18. In other words, in the deployedposition, the collapsible folding truck trunk 536 may be positionedrelative to the wheel well 31 such that the side panel 552 extends in aplane that does not intersect the wheel well 31, or that forms a tangentto the wheel well 31.

Therefore, when the collapsible folding truck trunk 536 is deployed, auser may place the collapsible folding truck trunk 536 within the truckbed 16 between the space between the wheel well 31 and the rear end 25of the truck bed floor 23. As such, the wheel well 31 does not interferewith the collapsible folding truck trunk 536, and thus, the collapsiblefolding truck trunk 536 is capable of residing on the truck bed floor 23with the base wall 140 being substantially parallel to the plane definedby the truck bed floor 23.

The collapsible folding truck trunk 436, 536 may include a cover 560 forenclosing items stored therein. The cover 560 may be engageable with theside wall 442, 542 to extend over the storage cavity. The cover 560 maybe engageable with the side wall 442, 542 via a zipper, snaps, hook andloop fasteners (i.e., VELCRO™), etc. The cover 560 may include an upperpanel 562 and/or a side panel 564. For instance, both the upper panel562, 564 may be included to completely cover the openings of the trucktrunk 436, 536. Alternatively, the cover 560 may include only the upperpanel 562, thereby leaving a vertical opening in the trunk 436, 536. Thevertical opening may be aligned with the tailgate 36 when the tailgateis in the raised position to cover the vertical opening. Furthermore,the vertical opening may be exposed or uncovered to provide access tothe interior of the trunk when the tailgate 36 is in the loweredposition. Alternatively, the cover 560 may only include the side panel564, thereby leaving the upper portion of the trunk 436, 536 exposed.

It is contemplated that the truck trunk 436, 536, and the cover 560 maybe formed from a waterproof material (e.g., plastic) or have awaterproof coating applied thereto to protect items contained thereinfrom water damage, particularly when the trunk 436, 536 is used in thebed 16 of a pickup truck 18, and exposed to the natural elements.

Although the figures show various embodiments of a collapsible foldingtruck trunk used in the bed of a pickup truck, it is understood that thescope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For instance, itis contemplated that other versions of a collapsible folding trunk maybe used in a sedan, station wagon, sport utility vehicle (SUV),hatchbacks, or other vehicles known in the art. Moreover, it iscontemplated that various embodiments of the collapsible trunk may beused to accommodate not only wheel wells, but other structural featuresprotruding into the storage space of a vehicle. Furthermore, the term“trunk” is used broadly herein to encompass any container for storingitems.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation.Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devisevariations that are within the scope and spirit of the inventiondisclosed herein, including various ways of locking the lid 34. Further,the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein may be usedalone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intendedto be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, thescope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A collapsible folding truck trunk for use with avehicle including a storage area having a wheel well extending into thestorage area, the collapsible folding truck trunk comprising: a basewall; a side wall pivotally connected to the base wall and extendingfrom the base wall and terminating at an upper edge, the side wall andbase wall collectively defining a storage cavity; the collapsiblefolding truck trunk being selectively transitional between a collapsedconfiguration and a deployed configuration, the upper edge of the sidewall moving away from the base wall as the collapsible folding trucktrunk transitions from the collapsed configuration toward the deployedconfiguration.
 2. The collapsible folding truck trunk of claim 1,wherein the base wall includes a plurality of base panels, each of theplurality of base panels is of a quadrangular configuration.
 3. Thecollapsible folding truck trunk of claim 1, wherein the side wall iscomprised of plurality of side wall panels.
 4. The collapsible foldingtruck trunk of claim 1, wherein the side wall extends around the basewall.
 5. The collapsible folding truck trunk of claim 4, wherein theside wall includes a cutout formed therein, the cutout extending fromthe upper edge and toward the base wall.
 6. The collapsible foldingtruck trunk of claim 1, further comprising a divider selectivelyengageable with the base wall to divide the storage cavity into twodiscrete regions.
 7. The collapsible folding truck trunk of claim 6,further comprising a hook and loop fastener coupled to the divider andthe base wall for facilitating selective engagement between the dividerand the base wall.
 8. The collapsible folding truck trunk recited inclaim 1, further comprising a cover engageable with the side wall toextend over the storage cavity.
 9. The collapsible folding truck trunkrecited in claim 8, wherein the cover is engageable with the side wallvia at least one of a zipper and hook and loop fasteners.
 10. Thecollapsible folding truck trunk of claim 1, wherein the sidewall and thebase wall are fabricated from a rubber material.
 11. A method ofdeploying a trunk in a vehicle having a wheel well, the methodcomprising: placing the trunk adjacent the wheel well, the trunkcomprising: a base wall; a side wall pivotally connected to the basewall and extending from the base wall and terminating at an upper edge,the side wall and base wall collectively defining a storage cavity; thecollapsible folding truck trunk being selectively transitional between acollapsed configuration and a deployed configuration, the upper edge ofthe side wall moving away from the base wall as the collapsible foldingtruck trunk transitions from the collapsed configuration toward thedeployed configuration; wherein the base wall and the side wall arefabricated from a resilient material to retain the truck trunk in thedeployed configuration when used for storage; transitioning the trunk tothe deployed configuration from the collapsed configuration.
 12. Themethod of claim 11 wherein the transitioning step comprises the step ofmoving the upper edge of the side wall from the base wall to transitioncollapsible folding truck trunk from the collapsed configuration to thedeployed configuration.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the base wallcomprises a plurality of base panels pivotally connected to each other,and the method further comprises the step of unfolding the plurality ofbase panels so that a plurality of base panels defining the base wallare co-planar to each other.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein thetrunk further comprises a divider, and the method further comprises thestep of engaging the divider to the base wall and the side wall.
 15. Themethod of claim 14 further comprising the step of attaching respectivehooks and loops on the divider, the base wall and the side wall toengage the divider to the base wall and the side wall.
 16. The method ofclaim 11 wherein the trunk further comprises a cover, and the methodfurther comprises the step of engaging the cover to the side wall so asto extend over the storage cavity.
 17. The method of claim 11 wherein inthe providing step, the sidewall and the base wall are fabricated from arubber material.